Barclays takes on apprentices

BARCLAYS is doubling the number of places in its apprentice scheme as part of
the government’s drive to provide jobs for low-skilled school-leavers

The bank last year pledged to lift 1,000 young people out of unemployment.
After the recruits proved to be “productive and valued members of staff”, it
is now stepping up its hiring spree.

Barclays is also launching a free support and training programme to
place 10,000 young people in apprenticeships at businesses throughout the
country.

The moves are central to the government’s National Apprenticeship Week, which
kicks off tomorrow, and are part of the bank’s efforts to atone for past
mistakes.

Antony Jenkins, Barclays’ new chief executive, is trying to revive the bank’s
reputation after a series of scandals, including the Libor interest rate
rigging scam and the mis-selling of payment protection insurance.

Ashok Vaswani, head of Barclays’ retail banking division, said: “It’s become
evident . . . we’ve got to play a